Holyoke Community College (HCC) will use a $600,000 grant from the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation to expand its Itsy Bitsy Child Watch program to serve more student-parents.
Itsy Bitsy Child Watch is a free center on HCC’s main campus for parents in need of short-term childcare while they attend class, study or meet with tutors and advisers. It opened as a pilot program for the fall 2022 semester with a $100,000 state allocation.
The new grant will enable the Massachusetts college to relocate the center to a larger, fully renovated new space, hire additional staff and extend its hours of operation to accommodate more children, especially during public school vacations, which do not always align with the college calendar.
HCC also has received a state grant of nearly $1.46 million to create a certified nursing assistant (CNA) to licensed practice nurse (LPN) training program to help area hospitals meet their workforce needs. The college has several partners on this grant project, including Baystate Medical Center, Baystate Wing Hospital, MassHire Hampden County, Springfield Works and the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.
The funding will go to an HCC-led training program to assist 86 unemployed or underemployed individuals transition from jobs as nursing aides to positions as licensed practical nurses.
“We hope that this pathway for licensed practical nurses will help create more family-sustainable incomes for nursing assistants looking to advance in this exciting and rewarding career,” HCC President George Timmons said in a release.
The multi-stage program will first train individuals as nursing aides, then help them obtain jobs at area hospitals while they continue their training in HCC’s LPN program, all while providing them with wrap-around support services.
Arizona
Diné College is the recipient of a $1.2 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant that will allow the college to buy equipment for its new STEM building on the Shiprock South campus.
The equipment will not only facilitate cutting-edge research and learning opportunities for students but also contribute to the broader educational ecosystem of the Navajo Nation and the surrounding communities, according to the college.
The grant also aligns with DOE’s mission to promote environmental justice and benefit disadvantaged communities near DOE sites. Diné College is 200 miles from two such sites, making it a key partner in addressing environmental justice concerns in the region.
Colorado
A $1 million donation will establish the Gene Doty Health Scholarships and Programs Endowment at Morgan Community College (MCC). The gift from the late Eugene V. Doty’s Trust will help fund scholarships, equipment, instructional staff and educational materials for healthcare programs.
Eugene V. Doty, a World War II veteran, dedicated his life to bettering Morgan County and became a prominent figure in real estate, auctioneering and land development. Among his many philanthropic contributions, Doty donated land for community recreation and funded a new senior center.
“Morgan Community College’s health programs serve an important pipeline of high-demand fields, and this gift will increase access to great careers for those students who need it most,” said MCC President Curt Freed.
Illinois
Danville Area Community College will use a $90,000 grant to get an electric vehicle for the automotive technologies program. The grant comes from the state’s Rev Up EV Community College Initiative.
Michigan
Mott Community College will expand the MCC Entrepreneurial Network (E-Network) program using a $128,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The E-Network is designed to develop students’ skills and knowledge to start their own business, work in a family business, expand a current business or seek employment in a small business.
As part of its expansion, the E-Network will operate as a co-curricular program to support students taking business and entrepreneurship courses and students who have entrepreneurial ventures they would like to explore. The students will attend hybrid workshops, and social and networking events. Members of the business community will serve as mentors and coaches.
The goal is to serve 50 students in 2024. MCC currently has 29 students enrolled in the program.
Missouri
Crowder College has received $211,855 for nursing education as part of a $5 million grant to Missouri colleges for healthcare education.
The grant will provide professional development and retention incentives for nursing faculty to attain advanced nursing degrees, as well as marketing of the profession to ensure the public is aware of career opportunities.
New Jersey
Bergen Community College has secured a $250,000 Trees for Schools grant from the state to renew its main campus tree population, which has been decimated by a changing climate, disease and invasive insects.
“Symbolic of sustainability and renewal, the Trees for Schools grant will allow the college to develop a more resilient tree population that will benefit the campus community for generations,” said Bergen President Eric M. Friedman.
As part of the initiative, Bergen will plant 125 new trees to create a natural perimeter buffer “climax forest,” or collection of trees that can withstand local environmental stressors. Bergen will remove dozens of green ash and plum trees originally planted in the 1980s that have fallen prey to the emerald ash borer insect and black knot fungus.
North Carolina
Haywood Community College received two grants totaling $40,000 to support the Lavender Fund for students who face financial hardships. The Truist Charitable Fund and The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina each donated $20,000.
The Lavender Fund supports students’ financial needs related to rent, childcare, transportation, utilities, food and other unforeseen expenses that could impact their ability to continue their learning.
